


Everybody's Pickin' Up on that Feline Beat

by CheerfullyCynical



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: And Klaus and a cat?, But BOY I am excited to share!!!, Can't get better!, Gen, I made her do this, my girlfriend made me do this, okay, this cat is SO CUTE
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-27
Updated: 2019-04-03
Packaged: 2019-12-18 15:31:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18252698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CheerfullyCynical/pseuds/CheerfullyCynical
Summary: A young Klaus finds a feline friend.This changes everything and nothing.Or, Klaus finds a kitten. He names him Casper.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

  * For [homo_lesbiens](https://archiveofourown.org/users/homo_lesbiens/gifts).



> Just so you know, Klaus is sixteen years old. Ben is still alive while Five has already done his solo act. Enjoy!

The day Klaus left the Academy was the day that his father found his cat.

Klaus’ cat was found, of all places, on a mission. As his siblings went inside a bank to do their thing, Klaus was left in the alley way as a ‘look out’ – in other words, the perfect spot to not get in the way.

Just when he was debating the pros of leaving and walking back home on foot, he heard the tiniest bit of noise. Surprised by it, he followed the whiny sound, wondering if he had finally lost all of his marbles. But he didn’t. Behind one of the most disgusting garbage dumpsters was the tiniest black ball of fluff Klaus had ever seen.

The little guy’s pitiful meows had Klaus falling to his knees, softly patting the ground to get the kitten to come out. At first, the kitty refused to budge. In fact, he backed into the darkness of the dumpster, making rather cute hissing noises at him.

“Hey,” Klaus cooed, putting his head to the ground and looking closely. A black cat was certainly hard to see, “It’s okay. I’m not gonna hurt you, sweetheart! Aren’t you just the prettiest thing! Look at that fur!”

The cat didn’t move. Klaus spent some time there, making every noise possible to get the little guy closer to him. Yet, the cat never moved.

Feeling dejected, Klaus put his back against the dumpster. Of _course_ the cat didn’t want to follow him. Who wanted to be with a freak that wasn’t freaky enough to have _useful_ powers? Klaus closed his eyes, wishing the dark thoughts away.

Just when he was about to get up from his lonely spot and go home, he heard another soft meow.

“Shoo,” Klaus told him this time, still upset but not really meaning it, “You don’t want my help anyway.”

But the cat finally crawled out of its safe haven. He titled his head at him, revealing dazzling blue eyes. While it was definitely abandoned by its mother, he looked mostly healthy, even if one of his ears was slightly disfigured.

Both of them studied each other. Klaus didn’t dare move, scared that he would run away. However, he must have passed the test. The kitten began a slow walk towards him. With a trill of noise, he rubbed against Klaus, purring.

Klaus gasped. Was it possible to feel such _love_ for something that he literally met ten minutes ago?

“Can I pick you up?” Klaus asked him, filled with awe as the kitten continued to purr at him, eyes closed blissfully, “I have to pick you up. You’re too cute. Look at those _eyes!_ ”

Slowly, very slow, Klaus wrapped his hand around the thin body of the kitten, feeling fiercely protective. He gently petted the stop of his head, smiling wide as the kitten’s purrs grew louder.

Klaus put the little guy on his lap, softly petting his small body. The kitten stayed without much of a fuss. “What am I going to do with you?” Klaus asked, knowing that his dad wasn’t going to allow a cat in his house.

“Better yet,” Klaus mused, smiling mischievously, “How can I _hide_ you.”

The kitten looked at him once again, it’s eyes staring into Klaus’ soul. It only increased Klaus’ need to bring the cat home.

“Number Four!”

“ _Shit._ ”

Luther’s version of yelling always had a way of getting on Klaus’ last nerve. It was never ‘ _Klaus’_ no matter how many times he told Luther that. Luther always wanted to be called by their numbers, which drove Klaus into many arguments with his brother.

But now, Luther’s voice only set Klaus into a panic. He got up from his spot on the ground, carefully holding the kitten to his chest.

“Okay, okay,” He muttered, thinking fast. Klaus looked the little guy in his adorable eyes, “Please be quiet!” He begged.

Klaus, years ago, had sewn a rather large pocket into the inside of his jacket. He did it out of desperation, trying to hide the drugs he gotten his hands on. Their mom, luckily, had said nothing about it to his father.

With gentle hands, he put the kitten’s back paws in first. The little guy stopped purring, but didn’t immediately try to hop out and escape. And, better yet, his head was above the pocket - a much needed insurance that he could still breath.

“ _Number Four!”_

“I’m coming!” Klaus grumbled loudly, trying to sound normal. Klaus walked out of the alley way with slower strides than normal. At this, Luther rolled his eyes. He no doubt thought that Klaus was taking his time to be annoying.

“What took so long?” Diego complained, looking at him up and down

Ben, covered in blood and gore and who knows what else, gave him a smile and a nod. Klaus, smirked back, glad to see his brother was in one piece.

Klaus raised an eyebrow at Diego, “Did the dashing _Number Two_ save lives today? My _hero!_ ”

Diego rolled his shoulders, looking pissed. That, however, was Diego’s default attitude. “Shut up! Like you’re ever-”

“Quiet!” Allison whispered, “Dad’s coming!”

 _That_ certainly made all of them shut up. They went into their default line, hands at their sides as they waited (impatiently in Klaus’ case) as Pogo and their father drove the car around to them. Without a word, Ben opened the car door.

They piled in. Their father, as usual, said nothing, reading his newspaper in silence. Klaus, for once, never wanted their father to talk more.

The bundle of fur that was in his pocket was currently digging small claws into his uniform, nearly cutting his skin. Though Klaus had certainly had worse, it wasn’t exactly fun. However, Klaus was happy that the little guy had yet to make a sound.

It was the longest, quietest drive of Klaus’ life. His heart pounded in his chest the entire time. When they finally arrived, Klaus was out of the car and up the stairs first, nearly tripping in his haste to get back to his room.

“ _Number Four!_ ” His father called, stopping Klaus mid stride, hand nearly on the doorknob.

His siblings pushed past him, eager to go wash up. Klaus usually didn’t mind, but this time, it felt almost personal.

Dad led him into the foyer, his hand firmly planted on his shoulder. “You will have extra training tonight. I will see you here at nine pm sharp.”

His father looked at him, daring him to question the order. But Klaus knew the repercussions of doing such a thing; he lived with the consequences.  

( _It was how he discovered the numbness of alcohol - how he had found that each drug he could get his hands out blocked out the dead.)_

They idea of going back to the mausoleum nearly brought him to his knees. But to fight back...That only brought more hours locked with the wailings of the dead.

“Do you understand?” He father asked him, but it only brought cold fury.

No, Klaus didn’t understand. He didn’t understand how being forced to listen to the dead helped him. He didn’t understand how it could increase his powers. In fact, all he got from it was pain.

“Yes,” Klaus said, feeling disconnected from his own body as he responded, “I understand.”

His asshole of a father released his shoulder, nodding in approval. Without another word, he walked away, probably heading to his office.

As soon as the bastard was out of his line of sight, Klaus sprinted up the stairs, taking them two at a time. The kitten’s claws were now firmly on his bare skin. As if the little guy knew that they were alone, he started meowing at him.

“I know, I know,” Klaus told his pocket, probably looking like a mad man. “Shh!”

Klaus made it to his room and slammed the door. Finally, slowing down, he opened up half of his jacket, looking at his new buddy.

The cat meowed at him, long and shrilly, showing his discomfort.

“Fair enough, little dude,” Klaus told him, almost impressed. He grabbed him around his middle, lifting him out of his clothes, and deposited him carefully onto his extremely messy bed.

It was almost as if the guy had never felt something soft. He immediately started kneading the blanket, his purrs getting so loud that Klaus couldn’t help but pet him.

“I’m a _parent,”_ He told the cat, realizing what he had done, “I’m, like, the least likely of all of us to be a parent. I mean, come on!”

The cat said nothing. In fact, just as Klaus collapsed on his own bed, the kitten began to move to his side. Hesitantly, he began to climb on to his chest.

Klaus sucked in a small bit of air. “I’m going to _die_ from the cuteness.”

When the kitten made it to his chest, he looked him straight into his eyes. Klaus didn’t move - didn’t breath. Instead, he waited as he got closer and closer. Finally, the kitten pushed his little wet nose against his own.

Klaus _squeaked._

The kitten, satisfied, collapsed boneless onto him, curling up perfectly onto his neck.

Klaus _still_ didn’t breathe. He couldn’t. The kitten’s warm body made him more comfortable than he had ever been. He never wanted to move from this spot, even if his legs weren’t in the right angle to be comfortable, Klaus wouldn’t dare move if it meant disturbing his cat.

His cat.

Huh. Klaus liked the sound of that.

“You, my lovely beaut, need a name,” he told him, “Something majestic and fierce. Something better than a boring old number.”

Silence - the little guy had officially fallen asleep. Klaus didn’t mind. He had the same idea in mind considering that in a couple of hours, he wouldn’t sleep right for days.

“Oh,” Klaus said, realizing something, “We never introduced ourselves! I’m Klaus, or Number Four. My thing is seeing the dead, which is _oodles_ of fun. Gets me all the men!”

The _dead_ men, is what Klaus decided to leave out.  

“Also, in my head, I’ve been saying you identify as male which is simply _wrong._ I mean, it’s just rude to assume. Me? I’m a little bit of gender misunderstanding with just a dash of a lot of bit gay. Any chance you’re still awake? Just a little bit? I wanna give you a proper name!”

The kitten, as if he was actually listening to him, opened his eye.

Klaus, taking that as a yes, lifted him gently from the crook in his neck and turned the fluff quickly around and checked.

“Little man it is!” Klaus declared, moving his legs onto his bed. While he still had the little kitten in his hands, he reached for his alarm clock and set it for eight pm. It was currently two. This gave him enough time to get some sleep in.

( _To not think about what was to come - to only focus on the here and now and not what was awaiting him in just a couple of hours.)_

Klaus, distracting himself, put the kitten back onto his chest, smiling softly as he arranged himself back into the same position.

“Okay, so, names!” Klaus said, “Names - names - names.”

Klaus thought about it. It couldn’t be a number (though he did entertain the idea of calling him Eight), it couldn’t be something _normal_ like Jeff, and it couldn’t be something mean, because this little guy was simply too cute.

“Well,” Klaus said, “You’re a lovely shade of black with piercing blue eyes and a little ear problem. And you have wonderful, soft fur. Shadow? No, stupid. Midnight? Ugh, worse.”

Klaus looked closer at the kitty. He really _was_ black all over. Well, except for the couple of tiny splotches of white on his chest - barely noticeable unless directly in light.

And idea came to him.

“Casper!” He said, even loving the way it sounded. “I mean, you did pick _me_ to come along with. The irony is to _die for.”_  

“What do you think?” Klaus asked him. To his surprise, the kitten began to softly purr.

Klaus smiled, large and wide and full of happiness - He honestly had never felt so warm in his entire life. Relaxed, his carefully pulled the covers up around both of them.

He never slept better in his life.


	2. Chapter 2

When Klaus woke up, it wasn’t because of his alarm.

It was because someone was banging loudly on the door – two loud knocks one after the other. Klaus groaned, knowing that it was Ben. After all, Ben was the only one who valued his privacy at this point. 

Casper was already wide awake. He was clawing at the door, reaching for the door knob like the smart kitty Klaus knew he was. 

Casper  _ was reaching for the door knob and Ben didn’t know he snuck a cat into his room.  _

“Shit!” Klaus muttered, throwing the blankets off of him, nearly falling as they tangled around his legs. He stepped around the various objects in his room and scooped Casper into his hands. Casper, in that moment, gave his loudest meow yet. 

“Klaus?” Ben called through the door, “What was that?”

“I’m singing!” Klaus called, wincing at his high voice. He carefully deposited Casper back into his jacket, hoping once again that he would be silent. “Meeeeoooow!” Klaus called out. 

Klaus trusted Ben more than he trusted anyone in his life. Ben was his ride or die – the only person in this hell hole that Klaus would tell everything to. Ben, meanwhile, was the only one who understood his desperate need for drugs. 

Ben, Klaus knew, trusted Klaus because he also understood what it felt like to be a monster. While Ben literally summed demons out of his chest, Klaus saw demons everywhere he went. The two of them understood each other better than anyone. 

Of course, that meant that Ben knew when he was lying. 

Ben opened his door, looking around his room with a sharp eye.

Klaus opened his mouth, ready to tell him that, no, he wasn’t on anything and didn’t have anything (currently), but Casper was faster than him. 

“Me-”

“-Ow!” Klaus joined in, meowing louder than his new companion. 

Ben looked at him – a famous ‘Klaus you’re a dumbass’ look that almost always had Klaus blurting out his secrets. “Was that a cat?”

“What?” Klaus asked, moving carefully as he went to sit back down on his bed. Casper’s claws were once again pinpricks on his stomach. “Now who’s on the good stuff? Are you sharing? Ben, you dirty little liar! How dare you not share.” 

Ben said nothing. He was still standing in the doorway, watching Klaus with a keen eye. “So you don’t have a cat?” 

“A cat?” Klaus asked him, “You got your hands on the good stuff, Benny-boy? Once again, sharing is-”

“Me-”

“OW!” Klaus yelled, voice echoing. The gig was up. Knowing he was about to get a speech, he revealed the inside of his jacket. Of course, Casper took the moment to hop out of his pocket and onto the bed.

“Klaus!” Ben complained, rubbing the palm of his hands into his eyes. He had turned pale. “Dad is going to  _ kill you.  _ What the hell were you thinking?”

Klaus gestured dramatically at Casper and said nothing. After all, he was enough. As if on cue, Casper trilled and climbed back onto his chest.

“What does that  _ mean, _ ” his brother complained. As if he was physically weak, Ben collapsed on the bed, head in his hands, “You can’t have  _ a cat.  _ You know that dad will…It won’t be good!”

Klaus  _ did  _ know what his father would do if he found out. In fact, he could already hear the speech.

_ “Attachments besides your siblings are a weakness, Number Four!” His father held Casper by the neck. Klaus could practically hear Casper’s cries of pain. “There will be no  _ pets.”

And then…And then Casper would be  _ gone.  _

Klaus knew this. He knew his father would never let it go – would force extra training and tests on him because of his  _ attachment.  _ He would kill Casper in the most brutal of ways as a  _ lesson  _ to all of them.

“Klaus…” Ben said, looking at the ball of fur that was currently curled up on his chest. He looked  _ pained.  _ “You can’t keep him.”

Klaus immediately clutched Casper in his hands, keeping him firmly lodged on his neck. “I’m not  _ abandoning  _ him!”

Ben said nothing. If anything, he looked shocked by Klaus’ fierce response.

“I’m not!” Klaus said again, heart beating fast in his chest at the thought of Casper not being with him. “There has to be a way to keep him secret!”

“Give him to me,” Ben demanded, holding his hands out, “I’ll sneak out and put him somewhere safe.”

Klaus jumped up from his bed, clutching Casper in his hands. Klaus  _ couldn’t  _ let Ben take him. He  _ couldn’t.  _ “No!” Klaus said firmly, never more serious in his life. 

“I’ll hide him!” Klaus told him, as Ben didn’t say anything, “He has my room! I’ll keep the door closed! I’ll start cleaning so mom doesn’t come in to clean!”

“And what about a litter box?” Ben asked him, calmly stating facts that Klaus didn’t want to hear. “He’ll eventually need to get his balls chopped off. How are you going to feed him?”

“ _ I don’t know! _ ” Klaus said, feeling as if there was no air in the room. He  _ couldn’t  _ let Ben take Casper; that was worse than anything their father could ever dream of doing to him. 

Klaus would go to the mausoleum every day if it meant saving Casper - He would let their father do whatever experiment he wanted without complaint if Casper was okay. Casper  _ had  _ to be okay. 

Klaus had always felt protective of his siblings - he was always willing to take the fall from them if he could. He would always put the attention on himself if it meant one of them wouldn’t be under his father’s harsh gaze. 

He had never felt  _ anything  _ like this before. 

“Besides,” Klaus said, trying so very hard to keep it together. He wasn’t one to be  _ serious -  _ he was always about big actions and loud words, “Casper and I are officially a family.”

“Okay,” Ben said it softly, as if he was afraid of upsetting him, “Alright.”

Klaus nodded, desperately trying to reign in such a vicious emotion. To distract himself, he brought Casper to his face. Casper meowed softly and sniffed at his noise. His wet little noise made Klaus smile.

“Can I hold him?” Ben asked suddenly, still slightly uncomfortable, “He is  _ really  _ cute.”

Klaus smirked at him, feeling the tension drain out of his body. “Of course, bro!”

Klaus carefully deposited Casper into Ben’s slightly shaky hands. Klaus knew his fear. Though Ben was getting better at controlling  _ The Horror _ , he was constantly scared about unleashing  _ it  _ on accident. It had only happened once – when they were much younger – but Ben had never recovered fully for it, no matter how many times Klaus said it was okay.

Casper, bless his little kitty heart, purred in Ben’s hands almost immediately. Ben didn’t move, honestly looking a bit too stiff for it be comfortable, but he smiled anyway.

“ _ Oh, _ ” Ben whispered, marveling at the little guy in his hands,  _ “that’s adorable.” _

Klaus giggled, wondering if he had the same look in his eyes when looking at Casper. “I know! And his name is Casper!”

Casually, as they always did, Klaus climbed into bed and pressed his side against Ben's. Ben leaned into him, laying his hands on Klaus’ lap as they both studied the purring kitten that they had fallen in love with. 

Ben snorted suddenly, still looking just a bit on edge. Klaus didn’t want to admit it, but he had also scared himself with that little emotional speech. “Yeah, of course a black cat who followed  _ you  _ home would be called Casper.” 

Klaus wasn’t even offended, “I know, right? Rather brilliant of me!” 

There was silence. Ben and Klaus simply existed in that moment - away from their father and away from everything else. It was just them and their new member of the family. It almost felt normal.

“Alright,” Ben said, smiling contently as Casper rubbed his hand against Ben’s thumb, “I have an idea.” 

Klaus cheered, waving his arms in the air in triumph. “I knew you would! Benny boy and his plans!”

Ben rolled his eyes at him good naturally, “We need Allison.” 

Klaus groaned, no longer liking Ben’s plans. He took Casper from Ben’s hands, sensing that he wanted to roam free for a bit. The moment Klaus put her on the bed, he was kneading the blanket. 

“But first,” Ben said, looking down at Casper with a fond look in his eyes, “This little guy needs a bath and some food.” 

That, as Klaus  _ did not  _ predict, was not fun.    


Casper loved water just as much as he hated Klaus. So, the bath turned into pleas of  _ please be quiet, Casper. I will give you tuna. I will literally sneak out and steal you tuna - shut up Ben I would find a way - and afterwards you can play and sleep and oh please shh!  _

So, moments later, with small battle scars on both of their hands and arms, Casper was clean. His fur, which Klaus had once thought was all back, actually had small splashes of white when the light reflected off of him. His one ear was bent permanently at a weird angle, but it suited him. 

They were still in the bathroom, panting in exhaustion as Casper now cleaned himself in the sink.

“Well,” Ben said, looking down at one particularly long, thin cut, “That was something. Fiesty little guy.” 

Casper stopped licking suddenly. As if he had heard the insult, he got to the edge of the sink and playfully put up one paw, tiny kitten claws out. 

Klaus laughed, delighted. “Who’s my little warrior!” He cheered.

Ben only glared lightly at Casper, unimpressed, “You can’t follow in Klaus’ footsteps,” He warned him, “In fact, don’t listen to a word he says.”

“Hey!” Klaus put his hands over Casper’s ears. Casper, of course, didn’t mind, “Don’t corrupt my kitten!” 

“Both of you will be the death of me,” Ben complained, but he was smiling. This, honestly, was the happiest Klaus saw Ben in  _ months.  _ Ever since their father had started doing training together, trying to get them to work harder, Ben was a little more  _ haunted.  _

Klaus bore scars from their dual training session. 

“Come on,” Ben said, getting up from the edge of the tub. He picked Casper up with quick but delicate hands and deposited him on Klaus’ shoulder. Like a parrot, he stayed. His claws, thankfully, did not go through his uniform this time. “I’ll get Allison. Wait for me in your room.”

Klaus gave him a salute, rolling his eyes. Ben was always so  _ serious.  _ It wouldn’t kill him to relax once in a while. 

When Klaus made it to his room and sat on his bed, he fully expected Casper to jump off of shoulder. Instead, he stayed, rubbing his head on his neck and purring contently. Klaus’ smiled once again, feeling warm. 

Who knew one cat could distract him from the many ghosts that haunted him in the Academy. Instead of hearing the usual wails of the boy that resided on the stairwell, he only heard Casper’s soft trills. Instead of flinching as the woman who was a near constant companion appeared in his bedroom, he found himself focusing on Casper instead. 

Casper was almost enough to distract him about his training tonight. He glanced at the clock, heart pounding as it read 7:23. It would go by far to fast. 

He was so distracted by his thoughts he didn’t even hear Ben and Allison come through the door. 

“ _ Oh. My. God,”  _ Allison breathed, frozen in the doorway. “That’s a  _ kitten _ .” 

Klaus beamed, “His name is Casper!”

Allison officially came into the room. Ben, quietly, closed the door. “Casper?” Allison asked, physically closer to him than she had been in months. She was staring at Casper, waving at him and smiling. “Hiya Casper! Who’s a handsome little boy!”

Klaus loved Allison - he loved all of siblings, but Allison was nearly always laughing with him. In fact, he went out of his way to always cheer her up, even if she sometimes found it more annoying than helpful. 

Allison, like Ben, always came back from training just a little more... _ Different.  _ More resigned - less smiles and more...Acceptance. For Klaus, that was always the hardest part: that their father was taking away the best part of them. 

“Wanna hold him?” Klaus asked her, meaning it, “I’m sure Casper would love to be in your beautiful hands.” 

“Yes!” She said, clearly excited, “Hand him to me!” 

Klaus was used to her demands; after all, her demands were  _ always  _ met - just a couple of words and she got anything she wanted. He leaned his shoulder towards her, wincing only slightly as Casper let out a small meow. 

Allison took a deep breath in, barely able to contain her overwhelming adoration she already had for Casper, “He’s so  _ cute!  _ Where did you  _ find _ him?” 

“On the mission,” Klaus told her, “While you guys were being generally news-worthy heroes, _ I  _ became a cat whisperer.” 

“Actually,” Ben piped up. He deposited himself on Klaus’ bed, once again leaning his weight against him, “You might be just a bit of a better cat whisperer.” 

“Hmm?” Allison hummed, using her index finger to pet the top of Casper’s head, “What do you mean?” 

“I need you to rumor him-”

Klaus immediately protested, making such an alarming noise that Casper was startled for a moment. 

Ben powered through it, “-so that dad can’t find him.” 

The room fell silent. Klaus considered Allison’s ability, remembering fiercely how a rumor would feel. It wasn’t exactly a  _ pleasant  _ feeling. A rumor didn’t necessarily wipe away you thoughts. Instead, it shifted them. You still  _ want  _ to do something, but you  _ need  _ to do what Allison commanded. 

Klaus was familiar with what happened if you  _ didn’t  _ listen to what Allison said. He really didn’t want Casper to feel anything like that. 

“Absolutely-”

“-not!”

The two of them turned to look at each other, quite honestly surprised. It was probably the most out of sync any of them have ever been. 

“I’m not gonna hurt him!” Allison said, looking just a tad bit hurt. Klaus felt slightly guilty at his reaction, but he couldn’t bear the thought of Casper being held against his will. As if to prove her point, she picked Casper up cuddled in her hands. 

Five minutes with Casper and already two out of the seven (Five still counted no matter what anyone said) family members loved him. For a moment, Klaus wondered if even Luther would fall under his kitten’s spell. 

“Come on, Klaus,” Ben urged, “This is the only way you can keep him.”

“Alright, alright,” Klaus relented, believing Ben, “Don’t be all melodramatic on me. That’s my role in this family.” 

Allison snorted and looked at him fondly. Klaus, never one to shy away from a good moment, smiled back at her. 

“What exactly will you say?” Klaus asked, making a grabby hand motion at the meowing kitten. No doubt the little guy was hungry - that was the next task. “I mean, to Casper?” 

Allison thought for a moment and she handed Casper back over to him, “To be quiet while dad is around?” 

Ben didn’t look exactly please, “that won’t matter if dad is staring right at him.” 

Klaus, not fond of the subject matter at all, deposited Casper onto the bed. He got up, needing to move around. He began to pick up things for him room. If he was not going to allow mom to come in here and clean, then he could use some of his energy to start now. 

He grinned when he spotted a bottle of black nail polish hiding under one of his dirty uniform jacket - he could match Casper!

“Okay,” Allison continued, flopping herself onto Klaus’ bed, “two rumors then. I’ll tell him to be quiet when dad is around, and then hide when dad is close.” 

Klaus stayed silent,  _ still  _ not liking the idea of rumoring Casper. He’d seen in action what happens when Allison’s rumors backfire. 

There used to be two criminals that followed Allison around. One of them had, in Klaus’ opinion, deserved getting shot. The other, though, was putting down his gun when Allison told his friend to shoot him. The ghosts only went away months later, after they finally accepted that he would never hurt Allison for them. 

“I heard a rumor,” Ben said, testing out the words. “That would you stay quiet when dad is around.” 

Klaus slammed one of the textbooks he found on the ground just a bit too hard on his dresser. He winced, but the two of his siblings didn’t pay attention

“Yeah!” Allison agreed, “I’ve done that one before.”

Klaus snorted, “Oh yeah,” He agreed, “The best day of my life was when Luther couldn’t talk to you for an hour.  _ It’s not funny, Number Four! Dad told us not to use our powers against each other! _ ” 

Allison said nothing. She was closer to Luther than both Ben and Klaus combined. After all, Allison and Luther were often inseparable, something Klaus would never understand. And, in hindsight, It was out of anger when Allison did that rumor anyway. 

Which, once again in Klaus’ opinion, was deserved. She missed  _ one  _ target that day. She didn’t need a lecture about it from both dad  _ and  _ Number One. 

But Ben smirked, just a bit of a mischievous grin on his face. “If only it lasted longer than an hour.”

Klaus laughed outright that time. Luther was his brother, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t an asshole. 

“Alright,” Allison told them, done with both of them, “And then I’ll say to hide when dad is around. Happy?”

Ben and Klaus shared a look. Klaus  _ still  _ obviously hated it, but if the alternative was Ben sneaking Casper away. Klaus sighed dramatically, putting a hand to his chest, “Do what you must.” 

Both Ben and Allison rolled their eyes at his dramatics. If Klaus didn’t like the idea, he certainly didn’t want to see it happen. He continued mulling about his room, looking anywhere but Casper. He didn’t think he could bare it to see his eyes go completely white. 

When it was over, Klaus snatched Casper up from the bed and put his tiny little face against his cheek. “Who’s a good, brave kitten,” He cooed, feeling relieved at hearing Casper’s soft purrs, “I’m gonna get you the  _ good  _ cat food!” 

Ben sighed, getting up from his bed, “We’ll figure that out tomorrow,” Ben stretched, “You should go get milk from the kitchen, Klaus. And we should go to our rooms - it’s almost curfew.” 

Allison got up too, “Can’t wait to see Diego’s face when he sees Casper.” She yawned. It wasn’t normal for them to be up this late, especially after a mission. Klaus, on the other hand, was a born nocturnal. 

Ben scoffed, “Can’t wait to see Luther’s face. That’ll be fun.” 

“I’m hoping he’s allergic,” Klaus replied, “That would be  _ brilliant.”  _

They both left the room without a word. Klaus shut his door, looking quickly at the clock. Of course it was nearing nine. 

“Alright,” Klaus told Casper, gently putting him on his side on his pillow. “I’ll get milk. Your job is to not move.” 

Casper said nothing. In fact, by the time Klaus made sure that he was comfortable, the little guy was asleep again. Glad that the events had tired him out, Klaus quietly slipped out the door and neatly closed it. 

It wasn’t exactly unusual for Klaus to be sneaking to the kitchen - mom, most of the time, would be there already, asking if he wanted anything. However, due to the hour, mom was nowhere in sight. 

He quickly grabbed the milk and poured into a bowl, for once making sure not to leave a mess. He hopped up the stairs two at a time. Thankfully, none of his siblings came out to ask him what he was doing. 

He slipped back into his room with practiced ease. He left the milk bowl under his bed, figuring that Casper was smart enough to know how to find it. When he placed it down, however, he saw one of his stuffed animals. 

He knew exactly what he had hidden in that stuffed animal. Though it had cost him all of his savings at the time, he managed to get himself one perfectly rolled joint. He told himself that  _ this one  _ was for emergency only - when the ghosts got so loud that Klaus couldn’t sleep. 

But the mausoleum. 

If he brought the joint with him, he would have a least have one or two hours of blessed silence from the ghosts. Yet, if he did smoke there… There wasn’t a guarantee he wouldn’t need it more later. 

He grabbed at the stuffed animal, nearly pulling it out from its safe hiding. 

“Prrrrrp!”

Klaus released it without realizing it. Apparently, Casper was wide awake once again. He looked down at him, eyes wide. Without another thought, the little guy jumped down...Right onto Klaus’ head, and then slide to the floor all in one somewhat smooth motion. 

“Casper!” Klaus said, exasperated. “What if you got hurt!”

But Casper didn’t hear him. In fact, he was too busy sticking his entire face into the bowl of milk. Though Klaus didn’t know it was possible, the little fluff was both drinking  _ and  _ purring at the same time.

Klaus sighed, leaning against his bed frame and watching fondly as his kitten enjoyed his dinner. 

At least Casper would be here when he got back. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If any of you readers were thinking that Klaus was going to be in the mausoleum in this chapter...SAME. This just got out of hand! In any case, I hope you enjoyed! Let me know if you like Allison and Ben! Love you all!!! 
> 
> Also, don't forget to check out my girlfriend's work! She updated yesterday!

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys enjoy! It's gonna be a wild ride. Make sure to look at my lovely girlfriend's work! @Homo_Lesbiens ! She also wrote a kitty and Klaus story to die for! Love you all!


End file.
